Jumaat, Mac 03, 2006
Membelek-belek buku Permaculture tulisan Bill Molison petang semalam, terjumpa satu surat lama terselit pada helaian terakhir. Mungkin tiada apa-apa maknanya bagi sesetengah orang tapi sebenarnya surat ini amat bermakna bagi yang memahami apatah lagi bagi yang menerimanya. Surat dari Dr Tom kepada semua penuntutnya, di kuliah terakhir beliau bagi subjek Urban Forestry beberapa tahun dulu, sebelum kontraknya sebagai pensyarah tamat. Semasa itu aku di tahun akhir dan mengambil subjek tersebut sebagai subjek elektif.Dear Students,
Soon, I will "balik kampung" to America. After nearly a year in Malaysia, it is time for me to return home. But I will always feel that Malaysia is my second home, and will always miss Malaysia. I plan to come to Malaysia as often as I can, and I hope to see all of you again.
I want to tell you what the best part of my experience in Malaysia has been. It is you, my students. I have enjoyed teaching you, enjoyed learning from you, and will never forget you.
When I go back to America, and people ask me what is the best thing about Malaysia, I will tell them that it is you, my Malaysian friends. I will tell them that Malaysia is building a great country, a country based on peace, cooperation and respect for each other, and respect for the environment. You have so much to be proud of: a country that is green and beautiful, a country in which people off all races can live in harmony, and a country to which the rest of the world is beginning to look for leadership.
And, when friends in America ask me what I will miss most about Malaysia, I will tell them. It has been you, my students. You have made my year here wonderful, and I will never forget you.
I hope that you will never forget how much you have meant to me, and I thank you from my heart. Jumpa lagi.
Dr. Tom
My Address:
Dr. Thomas W. Kimmerer
Department of Forestry
105 TP Cooper Building
University of Kentucky
Lexington KY 40546
USA
Soon, I will "balik kampung" to America. After nearly a year in Malaysia, it is time for me to return home. But I will always feel that Malaysia is my second home, and will always miss Malaysia. I plan to come to Malaysia as often as I can, and I hope to see all of you again.
I want to tell you what the best part of my experience in Malaysia has been. It is you, my students. I have enjoyed teaching you, enjoyed learning from you, and will never forget you.
When I go back to America, and people ask me what is the best thing about Malaysia, I will tell them that it is you, my Malaysian friends. I will tell them that Malaysia is building a great country, a country based on peace, cooperation and respect for each other, and respect for the environment. You have so much to be proud of: a country that is green and beautiful, a country in which people off all races can live in harmony, and a country to which the rest of the world is beginning to look for leadership.
And, when friends in America ask me what I will miss most about Malaysia, I will tell them. It has been you, my students. You have made my year here wonderful, and I will never forget you.
I hope that you will never forget how much you have meant to me, and I thank you from my heart. Jumpa lagi.
Dr. Tom
My Address:
Dr. Thomas W. Kimmerer
Department of Forestry
105 TP Cooper Building
University of Kentucky
Lexington KY 40546
USA
Surat ini memberi banyak makna, aku sebagai orang Malaysia dan juga sebagai manusia. Kita sepatutnya berbangga dan bersyukur dengan apa yang kita miliki. Kalau orang luar boleh menghargainya kenapa tidak kita....
Walaupun Dr Tom cuma mengajar aku dalam satu subjek sahaja tapi beliau sememangnya seorang pensyarah yang hebat. Aku sukakan cara beliau. Masih teringat lagi semasa kuliah terakhir itu juga beliau memberi peluang kepada semua penuntut bertanya apa-apa soalan bebas dengan menulis soalan pada sekeping kertas, dan cuma yang terpilih sahaja akan dijawap semasa kuliah tersebut. Aku masih ingat soalan aku lebih kurang, "what do you think about the prospect of urban forestry in Malaysia?". Bangga masa tu sebab soalan itu terpilih dibaca dan diulas dengan panjang lebar...
Begitulah kehidupan. Life goes on. Tak tahulah di mana beliau berada sekarang. Seperti katanya juga, kami juga sebagai bekas penuntut yang pernah mengikuti kuliah beliau akan sentiasa mengingati beliau. Apatah lagi bila membaca semula surat ini...
Dan yang pasti, aku rindukan saat-saat bergelar seorang penuntut dulu.
TTFN
Walaupun Dr Tom cuma mengajar aku dalam satu subjek sahaja tapi beliau sememangnya seorang pensyarah yang hebat. Aku sukakan cara beliau. Masih teringat lagi semasa kuliah terakhir itu juga beliau memberi peluang kepada semua penuntut bertanya apa-apa soalan bebas dengan menulis soalan pada sekeping kertas, dan cuma yang terpilih sahaja akan dijawap semasa kuliah tersebut. Aku masih ingat soalan aku lebih kurang, "what do you think about the prospect of urban forestry in Malaysia?". Bangga masa tu sebab soalan itu terpilih dibaca dan diulas dengan panjang lebar...
Begitulah kehidupan. Life goes on. Tak tahulah di mana beliau berada sekarang. Seperti katanya juga, kami juga sebagai bekas penuntut yang pernah mengikuti kuliah beliau akan sentiasa mengingati beliau. Apatah lagi bila membaca semula surat ini...
Dan yang pasti, aku rindukan saat-saat bergelar seorang penuntut dulu.
TTFN
Label: Retrospektif
the sweetest thing i read today, that. terima kasih mengepos di sini.